Avnet Announces Development and Distribution Support for Scale Computing's IBM-based Storage Appliance

Avnet Technology Solutions reportedly announced that it will assist with Scale Computing’s product development and assembly, by integrating Scale Computing’s Intelligent Clustered Storage technology onto the IBM System X server platform, in order to create a clustered storage system, so-called “iSN1000.”

 

In addition, Avnet will facilitate in expansion of Scale Computing’s customer base by making the iSN1000 available through Avnet’s IBM (News - Alert) value-added reseller partners in the U.S. and Canada.

 

Mark Martin, vice president of marketing and business development, Avnet Technology Solutions (News - Alert), Americas, IBM Solutions group, said that integration of Scale’s ICS technology with IBM System X server line will result in a complete, end-to-end mid-market storage solution, which will help IBM-focused reseller partners to enhance their storage solutions offerings by addressing key technology challenges facing their mid-market customers.

 

The newly integrated solution, iSN1000 with ICS technology, is a mid-market storage appliance solution that can scale per terabyte to more than 2.2 petabytes on a single file system. It is a 1 usable terabyte storage node.

 

The iSN1000 with ICS technology have the capability to work with future iSNs of greater density and drive size. A 1TB iSN1000 will work in the same cluster with 2TB, 4TB and even 32TB iSNs. IT managers can also add extra iSNs to the cluster without disrupting services, said Avnet.

 

In addition, iSN1000 with ICS technology is a symmetrical solution, wherein all drives are “data aware” – as information is mirrored and striped across the entire cluster. This helps in easy data recovery. It also includes advanced snapshot/replication features at no additional cost above the MSRP.

 

Scale’s ICS technology leverages IBM GPFS as its core file system. The GPFS is a sophisticated, symmetrical, parallel file system. The ICS has the ability to run CIFS, NFS and iSCSI protocols simultaneously, creating a unified SAN/NAS environment.

 

In addition, the ICS technology has the capability to quickly identify the new node and adds its capacity to the existing cluster, and begins mirroring and striping data to the new node.

 

Avnet said that the customers must make an initial purchase of three iSN1000s for $18,300, to create a 3 usable TB cluster, called the StarterSAN.

 

In a press release, Mark Martin, vice president of marketing and business development, Avnet Technology Solutions (News - Alert), Americas, IBM Solutions group, said: “This is the first time that Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas, will assist in both development and distribution of the same storage appliance.”